The family of an active and health-conscious man have revealed his cancer diagnosis, which came months after he initially attributed his pain to a gym injury.
At the age of 28, Alex Able began experiencing shoulder issues in September 2023. Initially, he brushed it off as a gym-related muscle strain and sought advice from a physiotherapist.
Despite this, his condition didn’t improve over the next two months, prompting Alex, who resides in Chatham, England, about an hour from London, to arrange an MRI scan. Unfortunately, the scan results showed nothing unusual.
It wasn’t until May 2024 that the true nature of his condition was uncovered, following his mother’s intervention, who insisted on another scan through his GP.
The subsequent scan revealed a large rhabdoid tumor, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, near his spinal cord. This type of cancer is so uncommon that only 11 adult cases have been recorded in Europe, with Alex being the first diagnosed in the UK.
Alex was referred to Kings Hospital London for surgery to remove the tumor. While the surgery was largely successful, 10% of the tumor remained due to its proximity to his spine.
Two years later, as Alex turned 30, he faced another challenge when NHS funding for his treatment was discontinued. To cover the costs of his treatment, a GoFundMe page was launched.
Alex’s mother-in-law, Katie, who created the fundraising page, highlighted the scarcity of information due to the rarity of his cancer. She shared that on July 11, doctors delivered the devastating news that the cancer might be uncontrollable.
“To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement, it’s every parent’s worst nightmare,” Katie wrote about the situation. “Alex is angry, frustrated, and scared; the kids feel cheated out of their future together, all their hopes and dreams left hanging in the balance.”
“We refuse to give up! Macmillan have encouraged us to seek alternative treatment routes outside of the NHS,” Katie continued. “His physiotherapists have advised that the paralysis would be reversed if the pressure on his spine was reduced, we have to fight.”
She further elaborated: “A top Neurologist in Birmingham is looking at Alex’s case file and scans privately but treatment would need to be funded.”
She added: “We have options to seek groundbreaking treatment in Mexico or Germany but Alex will need some intervention immediately to be able to travel – this will need to be self-funded too. Our window for action is small, we may only have weeks to initiate treatment.”
“We need help. If you can afford to give we would be eternally grateful, if you can’t, we understand times are tough… so simply sharing Alex’s story is hugely appreciated. The more people and experts this reaches, the better chance he has.”